Marigold
by YamiPaladinofChaos
Summary: [Judai x Asuka] Judai helps Asuka deal with Fubuki's disappearance, even if he doesn't realize it.


**_Disclaimer: _**I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX.

Judai Yuki frowned, rubbing his hand through his brown hair irritably. "Man... I've got the strangest feeling I'm forgetting something..." he patted himself down. Deck? Check. Duel Disk? Check.

"Shou?" the teal haired Osiris looked back at him questioningly, fiddling with a few cards on the desk.

"Yes, aniki?" the other boy asked.

"What am I forgetting?" Judai questioned, running his hand through his hair with a strangled groan. "I know something's happening... is it a test? Or is there a new shipment of cards coming in? Is there a holiday?"

Shou looked at him strangely, and closed his eyes in thought. After a moment, the diminutive boy opened his eyes and grinned. "Now I remember! It's Asuka's birthday today!"

Judai's face fell, and he felt the urge to slap himself in the head.

"You... you did get her a present, right?" Shou asked nervously, smiling weakly.

Judai shook his head, falling backwards onto his bed with a groan. "Oh man... how am I supposed to find a present now..." he paused, and leapt up, looking at the other boy pleadingly. "Shou... what'd you get her?"

"A couple of booster packs. They were the last ones too!" Shou replied, sounding a bit relieved.

"Let me have one!" Judai pleaded, falling to his knees and shaking his hands.

"Sorry aniki... I already gave them yesterday." Shou said, looking at him apologetically.

"Aw man... I'm toast. She'll never forgive me!" Judai moaned, slapping his forehead and falling back down on his bed.

---

Asuka Tenjouin sighed, pushing aside the pile of brightly wrapped presents of varying size and outlandishness around on her bed. So many presents... most of them from Obelisk Blue, from boys who wanted her attention and girls who wanted the favor of the Queen of Obelisk Blue.

So superficial... so shallow... only a few really came from anyone who really meant it.

Still... she hadn't gotten what she really wanted.

All she really wanted... all she really, truly wanted was to have her brother back.

"Fubuki..." she murmured softly, brushing her hair aside.

Her brother usually gave her some sort of new card for her deck or a trifle he'd found interesting in the mall, along with some flowers, different every year. He would always talk about the different meanings of flowers; daisies as innocence, daffodils as respect, chrysanthemums as cheer.

"Where are you, brother?' Asuka murmured softly.

---

Judai scrambled out of the Osiris Red dorm, pulling on his jacket and yelling back towards his room, "Be back in a bit!"

His feet were taking him back to Duel Academy, where he hoped, desperately, that there was something that he might even be able to _remotely_ consider offering to his blonde friend in celebration of her birth.

Luckily for himself, he ran into, quite literally, someone with enough brains to help him out.

Daichi Misawa grinned at him a bit ruefully as he winced, rubbing his chest. "Whoa there, Judai. Where are you going to in such a rush?" he asked, amused.

"Sorry Daichi! I forgot to get Asuka a present for her birthday!" Judai apologized swiftly, and moved to leave, when he paused. "Wait... Daichi! You're smart!"

"Well, yes." The Ra Yellow replied dubiously, looking perplexed.

"Can you help me figure out what Asuka might want as a present?" Judai asked, clapping his hands together and bowing his head. "Please?"

"I suppose." Daichi said slowly, nodding his head. "Do you have any chocolate?" he asked.

"Why? How's chocolate going to help me?" Judai questioned.

Restraining the urge to groan, the Ra Yellow replied in a matter of fact tone, "Girls like to receive chocolates. Or flowers."

"Uh..." Judai paused, rubbing the back of his head. "Isn't that... more of a... Valentine's day thing to do?" he asked, a bit embarrassed at the thought of presenting his blonde friend with flowers and chocolate.

"I suppose so. I'm not really an expert, you know." Daichi said archly, crossing his arms. "I crunch numbers and calculate duel strategies, not gifts."

"Er... right. Sorry bout that." Judai apologized, grinning sheepishly.

---

When the air of the Obelisk dorms felt too restricting, too much, as she liked to do, she visited the abandoned dorm.

Somehow, by being at the place where she felt he was last, Asuka could somehow draw upon his strength, and in turn, renew her faith that he would be found, and wish him luck wherever he was.

"It's my birthday..." she murmured softly, and smiled just a little. "But it just doesn't seem right without you." The wind drifted an errant strand of hair into her eyes, and, with an almost regretful gesture, she pushed it aside.

No flowers and no brother.

"Happy birthday to me." She whispered quietly, and felt the sting of unshed tears.

---

Judai ambled about, mentally coming up with multiple excuses and apology scenarios to Asuka. Hopefully, since it was the weekend, he wouldn't run into her until class, where he might just have enough time to come up with a present.

-Unless of course, he happened to wandered a bit too far and found himself within seeing range of the abandoned dorm, and its blonde visitor.

"Crap." He was pretty sure she'd notice him quickly enough, and frantically, looked around for anything, anything at all that might save him from this predicament.

_There!_

Brightly colored, orange flowers just outside of the beaten path. Grabbing them roughly and pulling them out, letting the dirt fall around him, just in time for Asuka to feel someone watching her.

"Who's there?" the Obelisk Blue demanded, arching an eyebrow and crossing her arms determinedly, showing no sign of her earlier sorrow.

"Uh... hey... it's just me!" Judai said, grinning despite his nervousness.

"Judai?" Asuka blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you here?"

"Oh... just walking around... guess I let my head lose control of my feet to end up over here!" the Osiris Red said rapidly, chuckling in over exaggerated tones to delay having to give his gift.

Unfortunately, Asuka wasn't in Obelisk Blue because of her looks, and noticed immediately. "Is something wrong? You're acting... weird."

"Weird? Who's weird? Not me!" Judai laughed fakely, rubbing the back of his head once again.

"What've you got there?" Asuka questioned, leaning forward to peek behind Judai's back, where the flowers were.

Quickly, the Osiris Red moved to one side, and when Asuka followed him suit, he moved the other way, and when she did it again, he moved again.

"Judai!" Asuka said sharply, annoyed, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms. "This is getting ridiculous!"

"Alright, alright." Judai muttered, and thrust out the bright indigo flowers towards her, looking away. "I forgot your birthday, and I'll I could find were these flowers. Sorry, alright?"

Asuka was silent.

"Uh... Asuka? Are you okay? I'm really sorry." He apologized, afraid he'd hurt her feelings. "Maybe you'd rather have chocolates... or a booster pack?" he offered shakily.

"They're lovely." She said, smiling brightly as she gently plucked them from his hands, her soft fingertips brushing his hand softly, like silk whispers.

Judai, despite himself, felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Thanks Judai." Asuka said, still smiling brightly, touched, even though she knew Judai had no idea what he had done.

And in her mind, she remembered her brother's words.

"_In the language of flowers, marigolds are the comfort of the heart."_


End file.
